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Reviews by bigfnjoe:

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3.9/5 rDev +2.6%

From BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #71 (December 2012):

A resuscitated beer, as The Shed brand was purchased from Otter Creek Brewery last year. Expressive from start to finish, more complex than expected. An enjoyable sipper, perhaps a bit too drinkable for its size … brawny at that. Definitely a type of brew most will craver in the cooler months.

Really nice looking brew, dark copper red, with walnut brown hints and a real ruby hue. Head is creamy off white and light tan, almost coffee like in appearance. Settles to a good one finger puck and nicely coats and clumps the glass.

Faint biscuit, and chewy walnuts and hazelnut like aromas. Very dense biscuity malts and sweet brown sugar and dough. Almost like a dark cookie. Smells real solid.

Palate coats slightly watery but with plenty of coating action on the palate. Low carbonation with a big mix of toasty malts and nuts. Clean but large finish, and semi-dry. Creamy like sweetness just a bit with the sugar angles kind of buried. A nice mix of floral and faint tea like herbality on this also.

Taste starts malty, some darker malts, toasty reddish and some darker brown malts, bit of caramel, toffee, sweet molasses flavors, little creamy. Some hops kick in, little earthy and herbal, slight grassy, slight chewy. It brings a little booze like warmth but just a bit, as well as some light esters from the big booze warmth yeast additions. There is a light creamy caramel almost cocoa like flavor from some darker malt. Finish is still a bit creamy, some interesting tartness in the back end with a bit more bitterness, some more earthy hops, plenty more toffee, candy flavors, and a slight candied apple flavor lingering.

Overall pretty good, nice overall robust winter like ale. I could see downing a few of these while up in the cold mountains, keep me warm and decent flavor, and for what it is it has a big flavor but still fairly drinkable.

definitely one of the better American browns ive come across in awhile. this, from right across the lake in Vermont, is a hopped up version like few ive had. it pours as red as it does brown, especially in the light. its got over an inch off tan head, but the retention is rather poor. still, a creamy rich liquid beckons. the nose is a great balance between sweeter English and American malts, and fresh east coast hops, with mild acidity. a little woody, a little sweet, and a lot yummy. the taste is the best parts of the nose, rich chocolate and caramel malts do their thing, while the beer finished on the bitter end of the spectrum with a wide variety of hop flavors and feels, including pine and sticky ganja. easy drinking for a beer of this alcoholic strength, its fuller in body and the carbonation is pretty good. its got a creamy texture and seems like a nitro tap would make this elite. I like this better than the shed ipa, and I look forward to more of their beers. this is excellent, and its even better on tap.

Taste upfront is bready, caramel and some toastiness; nutty with just a hint of chocolate on the back end. The description on the bottle claims a 'pronounced hop finish' but I can't say that I'm getting it. The malt sweetness and bitterness are nicely balanced here. Medium, slightly chewy mouthfeel and a soft carbonation that does a nice job rounding out the flavors.

A = A deep, clear, maple syrup amber tone. A short-lived head with minimal lacing.

S = Nice and malty, with a slight alcohol lift courtesy of the 7.4% level.

T = A rich ale, with a slight malty sweetness and an agreeable hop finish.

M = As expected, smooth and a bit chewy, but clean on the palate due to the 7.4% alcohol.

O = I like this one and would drink again. I wish there was a website for the brewer, Otter Creek, so I could read their take on this ale, but it's currently "under construction." I would enjoy this again occasionally and can imagine it pairing with a hearty beef stew and crusty dark bread.

Pours a dark copper color with moderate white lacing. Unfiltered as labeled on the bottle. Sweet in smell.Tastes slightly carmely. definite malt flavor, not coffee or chocolate but a lighter malt. Sweet with a touch a hoppy, piney bitterness at the finish.

This is great tasting beer. Very smooth. I pegged it for a standard "brown ale" as stated on the bottle, but later found it was classified as an English Strong Ale weighing in at 7.4% abv. You can barely taste the alcohol in this thing which is a great thing.

One of the better brown ales on the scene. Crafted with care to produce a palatable taste.